But Kabul residents praised Taliban security forces for routing Islamic State attackers during the Shiites’ tense Muharram period of remembrance and mourning.
KABUL — Rustam Haidery, 22, was watching a TikTok video in his bedroom Wednesday morning when a bullet smashed into the window ledge above his head. Leaping up, he saw uniformed Taliban forces setting up barricades in the street below. From a 12-story apartment building on the next block, he thought he heard someone crying for help.Soon, heavily armed men were knocking on neighbors’ doors, charging up stairs, and taking up positions on nearby balconies and rooftops.
The battle raging that day, which would stretch to more than seven hours, was a high-stakes confrontation between Taliban forces and a group of commandos from the Islamic State, a rival Sunni Muslim militia that views Shiites as apostates. It has attacked the mostly Shiite Muslim minority district of West Kabul many times over the past eight years.
“These evil elements were hitting civilian targets in Kabul and other parts of the country,” the statement said. “With the help of God, we managed to eliminate them.” This time, police made extra efforts to secure the community for Muharram, coordinating with local leaders and patrolling the area frequently. In interviews last week, many residents said they felt more confident about their safety than in previous years.
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